海角大神

Five ways U.S. hostels are stepping up their game

A tour of a hostel in Chicago shows how family-friendly and affordable hostels can be. 

You might have heard about the聽high-end hostel movement currently sweeping through Europe, Asia and South America. But as my tour of the聽newly opened Freehand Chicago聽(a high-end hostel with locations in Chicago and Miami) proved, you don't have to go overseas to get a taste of this action.

聽about why hostels are a good money-saving option for families on vacation abroad, and when we recently posted that article on聽, a fan named Beth made a comment that got me thinking:

"Hostels are the way to go," said Beth in her comment. "It's a shame they've yet to take off here in the U.S."

But they have! I thought to myself. As the daughter of notoriously frugal parents, I knew this from personal experience. I stayed comfortably in hostels with them while聽touring colleges across the country聽in 2008,聽and to this day, if given the choice between a hostel and a hotel room in their stateside vacation destination, my parents will聽always choose the hostel.

Why?聽Today's hostels aren't just cheap, their cozy common spaces, comfortable beds, and all-around amazing hospitality聽are giving big hotel chains a run for their money,聽and I think it's high time we got the word out.聽So in an attempt to dispel the many unsavory stereotypes聽so many聽people still have聽about American hostels,聽I took a tour of聽, Chicago's hottest new hostel located in the heart of the trendy River North neighborhood.聽Here are five of the biggest hostel myths聽my Freehand tour busted:

Busted myth#1:聽Hostels are dangerous

Thanks almost entirely to聽Eli Roth's highly disturbing 2005 slasher flick,聽Hostel, hostels around the world have gotten an unfair reputation as great places to stay聽if you're up for being brutally murdered. This, of course, is about as ridiculous as聽being afraid of your old VHS collection for fear one of those tapes contains the ghost of a little girl who will kill you in seven days. And yet it's still a pervasive myth, one which I'm happy to report has absolutely no basis in reality at Freehand or any of the cross-country hostels I've stayed at in聽my life.

Like most hotels and hostels, Freehand has a聽24-hour front desk聽and security staff, and their rooms are accessible聽by聽electronic key. They offer both co-ed and single sex four-bunk rooms as well as singles, and all rooms have a聽private bathroom. If you're traveling in a group of four, you聽can book a four-person room all to yourselves, and if聽you're traveling alone,聽all rooms come with private lockers, so bring a lock聽and聽rest assured no one else has聽access to your valuables.

Bottom line: you should feel just as safe at Freehand (and hostels in general) as you would at any other hotel.

Busted myth #2: Hostels are dirty

OK, so maybe hostels are totally safe, but for $45/night, their cleanliness standards and accommodations have to be on par with a seedy roadside motel, right? Not even close.

The Freehand Chicago offers daily housekeeping, and their four-bunk rooms are lavishly furnished with adorable wooden bunks, colorful art and a mini-couch--all reminiscent of a 1940s luxury train car. Their private rooms come equip with a double bed, a TV and similar decor, and it's all spotless and cozy. While other hostels I've been to aren't as artfully聽rustic as Freehand, I've always been pleased with the cleanliness and overall comfort of the beds, couches and communal bathrooms.

Busted myth #3: Hostels aren't family-friendly

When you think of the average hostel guest, a disheveled, soul-searching, hard-drinking student聽backpacker is probably your first thought. And while there are admittedly quite a few of these types gracing the halls of hostels abroad, American hostels are typically filled with an international medley of聽people, and they're quite聽family-friendly to boot.

I loved staying in hostels as a kid, because, bunk beds, obviously. Plus there were always kids my age from around the world to play with, and lots of cool places to explore. I seriously wish the Freehand had been around when I was younger, because I know I would have loved the privacy curtains on every bed, and the detailed maps of Chicago plastered under each bunk.

Basically, hostels are as kid-friendly as any other hotel, if not more so.

Busted myth #4: Hostels are always a communal experience

Sure, your cheapest bet for a night at a hostel is to book a bed聽in a shared dorm, but if you're looking for more privacy and don't mind spending a little more, you can book a private room instead. Freehand, for example, offers private four-bunk rooms as well as private rooms with queen and king-sized beds. They don't have聽as much room as your typical hotel, but what the rooms themselves lack in space,聽the city makes up for in innumerable things to do.

Isn't that why you decided to travel in the first place? To explore a new place? To meet new people and have exciting new experiences? Why hole yourself up in a fancy and expensive hotel room when you can stay for less in a smaller, equally comfortable space that inspires you to go check out your new surroundings?

Busted myth #5: Hostels have no amenities

If free WiFi, a daily complimentary breakfast service, a spotless community kitchen, an in-house coffee bar, a luxurious, Wes Anderson-inspired common area, and a trendy, full-service bar, and a weekly events board don't sound like amazing amenities, then the Freehand (and literally every other magical place in this world) probably isn't the right place for you. But if you do appreciate having these kinds of聽convenient services at your fingertips, you should be quite happy with your stay at Freehand, and at most other hostels around the country.

Wanna book a stay at Freehand? They have locations in Chicago and Miami, and may soon be coming to a city near you!聽Prices vary depending on the weekend and the room, but if you're a solo traveler, expect to pay between $30-60/night for a room in a shared dorm.